City Approves LES Rezoning

NEW YORK CITY-A height cap of 80 feet on new construction in Manhattan’s Lower East Side and East Village will be in effect as a result of a rezoning plan approved yesterday by the City Council. The downzoning encompasses a 111-block area north of Houston Street between Third Avenue and Avenue D, as well as the area south of Houston Street, between Pitt and Christie streets.

Three years in the making, the rezoning is intended to preserve the historic character of the two neighborhoods as well as Chinatown. It’s expected to spur production of up to 1,670 housing units in the next 10 years, including 560 affordable housing units.

“This action ensures the survival of the low-scale character of a community which was recently recognized as one of the 11 most endangered neighborhoods in the US” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, says council member Rosie Mendez in a statement. “We obtained inclusionary zoning, which creates the potential for new affordable housing. My community conceived of and demanded this plan and I am pleased to have been a part of their efforts to get it.”